Millennials make up the largest percentage of homeowners at 45%. Though millennials are extremely educated, hardworking, and innovative, they aren’t exactly the most well-versed demographic when it comes to home maintenance.

“The younger generation of millennials is attracted to paying for what they need when they need it, not having it in their house (all the time),” said Ken Greene, asset manager for Sibley Square. “The older millennials I think are still tempted by that American Dream of homeownership.”

That being said, this younger generation isn’t as handy as some older Americans. There are some things you can do to improve your handy skills, however, and become a much more knowledgable homeowner. First, you need to know what to look for and what kind of stuff you’ll eventually have to do:

Check for Radon

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General’s Office have estimated that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon.

Young and old Americans alike cannot see, taste, or smell radon. It can be extremely dangerous to ignore radon issues or neglect to have your house or a new home you’re hoping to buy inspected. According to the EPA, if you’re buying or selling a home, you should always have the house inspected for radon.

Acquire Necessary Tools

No matter what project you plan on starting in the near future, you’re going to need the right tools. Even if you spend months researching and learning how to perform various DIY tasks around your home, you won’t be able to do anything until you have the right tools!

Everyone who owns a home needs to at least have a toolkit filled with quality hammers, screwdrivers, tape measures, screw sets, power drills, level, and a few additional pieces of equipment.

HVAC Installation and Maintenance

Roughly 84% of all homes in the U.S. have some kind of air conditioning. In fact, the U.S. uses more air conditioning than all other nations combined.

If you don’t know how to properly install an HVAC unit inside your home, you and your family are going to have a brutal summer in Rochester and an even worse winter. A single AC unit is easy to install for just about anyone. But some of the larger machines can be tricky. Talk to a professional to see if they can help out.

Become More Handy Around Your Home

Here are some great tips for actually learning how to be handier around the house:

  • Take a class — Taking a class online has never been easier! Check out local hardware stores around Rochester and see if they offer any DIY classes to help you get more stuff done around the house. You might even be able to find a few for free! But if not, they are certainly worth the money.
  • Do some online research — Teaching yourself a whole bunch of new skills starts with simply typing in some search terms into Google. Read more and more about what it takes, what you’ll need, and what might be just too much to handle. Once you get a better idea of what you want to accomplish — you can start focusing on how!
  • Practice, practice, practice — You’ve never going to get good at using a drill until you practice using a drill. The same goes for just about every tool. Make sure you’re being as careful as possible right from the start, but get practicing as much as possible and you’ll be on your way!
  • Ask your handy friends — We all have a few handy friends who somehow know how to do everything under the sun. Don’t just be jealous of their skills, ask them for some pointers!
  • Do some volunteer work — Volunteering is not only a great way to give back, but it’s a great way to learn some new skills. You can do everything from constructing new homes for the less fortunate to woodworking. There are all kinds of opportunities out there, you just have to search for them!

You might not know everything about homeownership or DIY housework, and that’s okay, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn more and more each day! Start thinking more about how to become a better homeowner and the sky is truly the limit! Good luck!